About Harbour Place

Why do we need Harbour Place?

Homelessness continues to be a major issue within the UK and in North East Lincolnshire rates of homelessness are consistently above the national average. Harbour Place is the only local homeless charity providing a night shelter for those needing a bed for the night.

Homelessness and poverty are interlinked. Research shows that a lack of permanent accommodation impacts on a person’s emotional well-being, their sense of identity and of belonging. It also prevents them from putting down roots.

People can be categorised as homeless if they are:

Living on the streets (primary homelessness);

Moving between temporary shelters, including houses of friends, family and emergency accommodation (secondary homelessness);

Living in private boarding houses without a private bathroom and/or security of tenure (tertiary homelessness).

Our service users face a variety of challenges that prevent or create obstacles to finding permanent accommodation; this can include mental health problems, dual diagnosis, self-harming and an inability to cope with emotional issues, loneliness, addiction, low income or being on benefits.

What do we do?

We opened our doors in December 1996 with the aim of helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society. In 2011 we started operating an Outreach team and over the years this team has grown to 5 full time paid employees with additional ad hoc help from our trained volunteers.

The Street Outreach Team works closely with rough sleepers, building relationships and trust to form a base that allows positive change to happen.

In September 2018 we moved into the Hope Centre on Hope Street, this move gave us the opportunity to further develop and extend our services, including the area’s first full time Night Shelter facility. Our Night Shelter operates 365 days a year providing accommodation for up to 15 people each evening in a supportive and supervised environment.

The Night Shelter, outreach and support activities give our service users a comprehensive support network and our consistent positive outcomes reflect the success of this model.

Through a holistic approach tailored to each individual’s needs we continue to:

Assist service users into accommodation

Deliver in depth housing advice and support

Promote and support health and wellbeing

Work with partner agencies to support clients with mental health and/or addiction issues

Improve client employability skills

Provide volunteering opportunities that improve life skills

Signpost service users

Provide referrals across statutory and third sector agencies

Support and act as advocates for service users as required

How do we do it?

In order to deliver the service we have 15 highly motivated staff, a bank of volunteers and a dedicated group of Trustees. This commitment is entrenched throughout the organisation and allows us to ensure that the most vulnerable in our community receive the best support possible to bring about positive changes to their lives.

Who supports us to make it happen?

We are funded through a combination of donations, grants and fundraising. We apply for grant funding from both statutory and charitable organisations. We are fortunate to also receive support from the local community through sponsored events, fundraising and donations.

Harbour Place is a registered charity (no. 1068647) and a Company Limited by Guarantee (Company no. 3396688). We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator.